Water Conservation

Since the Irvine Company was founded more than 150 years ago as an agricultural business, we have thoughtfully and innovatively conserved and reused water. The company has a long history as a respectful steward of this valuable land and as an industry leader in water conservation. Long before the California drought prompted serious conservation efforts, the Irvine Company has worked closely with the City of Irvine and the Irvine Ranch Water District to implement water-saving technologies. Year after year, we have taken a proactive approach to preservation and master plan our retail centers in a sustainable, environmentally sensitive manner.

Did you know?

Our proactive approach to water conservation and use of recycled water has resulted in saving more than 113.4 million gallons of potable (drinking) water each year in our retail centers.

Our master-planned retail centers include a comprehensive water usage and conservation plan, ensuring that adequate water resources are available to serve each project.

In our landscaping, we use state-of-the-art, high-efficiency irrigation systems that reduces water consumption (44 million gallons annually) through the use of:

Smart irrigation controllers: This high-tech system controls how much water is used to irrigate our landscapes based on plant/soil type and weather conditions. The system uses real-time weather satellite data that, for instance, shuts off the irrigation system during rainy or cold conditions.

Drip and low-flow irrigation: This practice allows water to be slowly applied into the soil, drastically reducing water usage and the overspray onto non-landscaped areas caused by traditional sprinklers.

Master valves with flow sensors: This allows us to automatically shut off the water when the flow sensor detects a leak.

Wherever possible, we irrigate our landscaping with recycled water. For instance, since the 1980s, most every retail community in the city of Irvine including the Irvine Spectrum Center has used recycled water for its landscaping. In Newport Beach, Newport Coast Shopping Center and Crystal Cove Shopping Center use recycled water for their landscaping. Unlike potable (drinking) water, there are no drought-related restrictions on the amount of recycled water that may be used.

In our retail centers, we use state-of-the-art, high-efficiency plumbing fixtures that reduces water consumption (2 million gallons of water annually) through the use of waterless urinals and water-savings flush values and sink sprayer aerators.

As part of our commitment to efficient water use and reuse, the Irvine Company monitors water usage across its portfolio and records irrigation water usage weekly. The retail team inspects water systems on a regular basis and makes adjustments when needed to prevent overspray and runoff.